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Posts for category: Foot Pain

If you’re one of those people whose turkey is barely in the fridge before you’re off and running for those Black Friday bargains, we at Affiliated Foot & Ankle Care want to give you a few tips to save your feet. Running from store to store to score the best prices on holiday gifts can cost your feet dearly if you don’t take a few precautions.

Shoe Savvy—your shoes are the biggest factor in how your feet will survive the super shopping day. This is not a day to wear a new pair! Go with a tried and true comfortable pair of shoes that has a wide toe box and a low heel. Sneakers or athletic shoes with good arch and ankle support are your best choice. This is definitely a function over fashion event. If our podiatrists, Dr. Ben Gujral and Dr. Nrupa Shah have prescribed a custom orthotic device for you, be sure to wear it for your marathon shopping trip.

Blister Proofing—even trusty shoes can start to rub your feet the wrong way, especially if being on the move makes your feet sweaty. Carry moleskin with you and apply a piece to any place that starts to feel sore to prevent a blister from forming.

Drink Up—you may not think there is a connection between your water bottle and your feet, but there is. Staying hydrated is one way to avoid uncomfortable swelling of the feet and ankles which can end up cutting your shopping day short.

Break for Relief—in the long run, taking breaks to sit down and get off your feet for a few minutes will save your lower extremities way more than it will cost you in bargains. If possible, put your feet up on another chair. Even a short rest can reduce the risk of inflammation and fatigue and ultimately enable you to go on longer than if you go full speed ahead without any stops.

A little soreness after a day of Black Friday shopping is to be expected, but if your feet or ankles are really in pain even a day or two later, you may have sustained an injury that needs treatment. ContactAffiliated Foot & Ankle Care at our Edison, Linden, Monmouth Junction or Monroe offices in New Jersey for an appointment by calling: 732-662-3050.

It occurs to you one day that your foot has been hurting for a while. At first, you thought you might have slept on it funny or a pair of shoes bothered you, but now it appears to be pretty consistent day after day. You don’t recall injuring your foot and or see any overt reason for the pain. At Affiliated Foot & Ankle Care we hear this scenario more often than you’d expect. When the source of foot pain isn’t obvious, that’s when our podiatrists, Dr. Varun (Ben) Gujral and Dr. Nrupa Shah, have to do some digging. What they find may surprise you.

You’ve injured your back (or knee or hip). Pain or injury in your back or anywhere in the lower half of your leg may alter the way you walk as your body tries to subconsciously shift away from the pain. This, in turn, can cause pain in your feet.

Kicking your shoes off. A reason that comes up more commonly in the summer months is going barefoot. Wearing no shoes (or flip-flops) more frequently can result in a flattening of the arch, which leads to arch and heel pain. Without shoes, you’re also depriving your feet of the shock absorbing power of soles which means your foot is getting the full impact of every step which can lead to foot pain.

You’re buying the wrong size shoes. If you’ve been wearing the same size for a decade or more and don’t even bother trying on the shoes you buy, there’s a good chance that you’re wearing shoes that are too tight. Your feet can get larger with age. Get your feet professionally measured. Try shoes on and walk around for a while before purchasing. Remember, a “breaking in” period is a myth—shoes should fit properly from the onset.

An intensive exercise program has caused a hidden injury. If you started your new exercise program a few months back and are just starting to experience foot pain now, you may not make the connection, but stress fractures are generally caused by overuse. Swelling is another sign of a possible stress fracture. Pain may only be present during and immediately after exercise and then subside.

Scale creep. If you gain 3 or 4 pounds you may not notice it in the mirror or even the fit of your favorite jeans, but it can have a large effect on your feet. Your feet experience the impact of 2 to 3 times your body weight when you walk, so every pound gained delivers a double or triple whammy to your feet.

Finding the reason for unexplained foot pain is important in order to prevent a minor problem from developing into a debilitating and chronic condition. Contact our Monroe, Edison or Monmouth Junction office in New Jersey today by calling: 732-662-3050 if you are experiencing any podiatric discomfort.

A condition that we treat at Affiliated Foot & Ankle Care that many patients are unfamiliar with is tarsal tunnel syndrome. Below are some questions and answers to help you better understand this often common condition.

Q: What is tarsal tunnel syndrome?

A: Tarsal tunnel syndrome is similar to a condition that you may be more familiar with, carpal tunnel syndrome, which occurs in the wrist. Both conditions are the result of nerves being compressed or squeezed, which produces symptoms of pain, numbness, tingling, or burning.

Q: Where is the tarsal tunnel located?

A: The tarsal tunnel is found next to your ankle bone on the inside of the ankle. In addition to the posterior tibial nerve, it also houses arteries, veins, and tendons. The tunnel is covered with a thick ligament that protects the structures in the tunnel.

Q: How does the posterior tibial nerve get compressed?

A: The compression of the nerve can be caused by a number of different scenarios. Sometimes injuries to the ankle or systemic diseases, such as diabetes or arthritis, can lead to inflammation and swelling, resulting in the nerve getting squeezed. In other instances, an abnormal or enlarged structure may be taking up space in the tunnel, which causes the nerve to become compressed. These can include a ganglion cyst, varicose vein, bone spur, or swollen tendon. Patients with flat feet have a higher risk of tarsal tunnel syndrome due to pressure placed on the nerve from the outward rotation of the heel that is characteristic of this deformity.

Q: How will the podiatrist know if I have tarsal tunnel syndrome?

A: Our foot and ankle surgeons, Dr. Ben Gujral and Dr. Nrupa Shah, will start by examining your foot and ankle. Since tarsal tunnel syndrome can be caused by many different things, the foot doctor may order nerve conduction or imaging studies to try to determine what is causing the compression.

Q: What are the treatment options for tarsal tunnel syndrome?

A: In some cases, our podiatrist may recommend surgery to decompress the nerve. There are, however, a wide range of conservative options as well, including bracing, orthotics, injections, and physical therapy.

If you are concerned that you may have tarsal tunnel syndrome, schedule an appointment at our Edison, Monroe or Monmouth Junction office in New Jersey today by calling: 732-662-3050.

As January comes to an end, we at Affiliated Foot & Ankle Care want to ask, “How are you doing with your New Year’s fitness resolutions?” If you are like many patients, you may find that foot pain or other issues are derailing your plan to get physically fit. Don’t give up! Below are some tips for fine tuning your exercise routine to make it work for you:

Get any foot pain checked out. If your toes, feet or ankles hurt or you are experiencing any discomfort as a result of your new fitness routine, make an appointment at our podiatry practice in New Jersey. Our podiatrists, Dr. Ben Gujral and Dr. Nrupa Shah will examine your feet and ask about previous podiatric injuries and chronic conditions. The foot doctors may also want to examine the wear pattern of your shoes and check your gait. Recommendations about the best type of activity for your feet and any special accommodations necessary for you to exercise will be given. In some cases, the podiatrist may recommend an orthotic device, brace or pads to help protect a vulnerable area and make working out more comfortable.

Make sure you’ve got the right shoes. Different sports require different shoes. The action of your foot when running is different than that of playing basketball, for example. Fitness shoes are designed specifically for the type of movement and the strain placed on your foot by a particular activity.

Re-evaluate your exercise plan. If after a month, you are still finding your new work out too difficult and exhausting, you may have chosen a plan that is too advanced for your current level of fitness. Plans that set the bar too high result in discouragement and, worse, injury. Achilles tendonitis,heel spurs, and shin splints are just a few of the sports injuries that result from doing too much too soon when trying to get in shape. A sound plan will call for gradual increases in the length of time and the intensity of the workout. It should also include a warm-up, cool down and stretches to properly prepare your body for physical activity.

If you have more questions about fitness and your feet, contact our Edison, Monroe or Monmouth Junction office by calling: 732-662-3050.

At Affiliated Foot & Ankle Care, patients often come in with foot pain that they do not know the source of. If you are experiencing pain in your heel, arch, ankle, along the outside of your foot, your shin, knee, hip or lower back, it may be caused by partial or completely fallen arches.

Although the term “flat feet” may make it seem that the condition is fairly obvious, it is not always so. Some people have what’s known as flexible flat feet: when they are sitting they appear to have a defined arch but when they stand the foot flattens out. In some cases, an arch may be only partially fallen. Since your arch is an important component in ensuring that the weight of your body is distributed properly, improper positioning can result in pain in your foot and the lower half of your body.

Possible Causes of Fallen Arches

One common cause of flat feet is overpronation or the tendency to walk with your ankles turning inward. A way to tell if this might be true for you is to look at a pair of shoes that you’ve had for a while. When placed side by side the shoes will appear to lean into each other if you overpronate. Flat feet can also be caused by a tendon inflammation or a biomechanical defect.

Getting Relief

In extreme cases, surgery on the midfoot bones or to repair a damaged or torn tendon may be necessary. Fortunately, however, there are several non-surgical treatment options available as well. Our podiatrists, Dr. Varun Gujral and Dr. Nrupa Shah, will examine your feet and decide on the best treatment if you are diagnosed with flat feet depending on the underlying cause and the severity of your condition. Options include: